


Stories Untold

by MaybeWren



Series: Dust and Ash [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angel of Death Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Blood God Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Immortal Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ram Hybrid Jschlatt, Siren Wilbur Soot, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Tommy's name is Theseus, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29377941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaybeWren/pseuds/MaybeWren
Summary: Despite how the stories paint it, not many heroes want to be one.
Relationships: Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Dust and Ash [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2158062
Comments: 2
Kudos: 95





	1. Whispered Prayers

Phil carefully cleans the cuts on cuts covering Techno’s skin. A grunt fills the room, even though Techno obviously tries to hold it in. Phil has a handful of matching cuts, but he can deal with them after helping Techno. If left alone, Techno will probably leave them untreated. Even if he pokes at Phil to help himself first.

“You need to stop doing this,” Phil says and pulls away. 

Techno just stares at the floor, looking like a scolded teenager. Long pink hair hides most of his face from view. Phil sighs. There’s not much that can get through the head of a young god. The best he can hope for is to guide Techno along the way and help him onto the right path. He can try to be a good friend.

Phil can remember his own young recklessness and how much it’s cost him in the end. The myths mortals tell of his original downfall. Most of their versions are embellished or even straight up false, but he can do nothing to correct them. He can only hope that Techno’s not setting himself up to be the next great tragedy. He wraps the cuts in gauze and Techno still refuses to look him in the eyes. Phil doesn’t blame him, he likely would have done the same. 

With time, Techno makes a name for himself. A god filled with righteous rage, born bathed in blood. Phil laughs upon hearing that myth for the first time. Facts have always been exaggerated, and things are always left out. The myths mention the voices of those Techno killed screaming in his head, but never the nights where Techno is crying on the floor unable to drown them out. 

Techno becomes a person to pray to when you’re losing a fight. A cruel patron who provides no guarantees. It only adds to the noise pounding Techno’s skull. Phil’s long since grown used to the occasional prayers that ring in his own mind, although it seems to be nothing compared to what makes home in Techno’s mind.

Phil receives letters from Techno between tournaments and wars. He knows that the myths won’t mention their friendship, it won’t fit the story they want to tell. Unless a major tragedy happens to one of them that can be warped into a lesson or creation, their connection will be untold. He’s seen it happen a thousand times over.

Countless friendships are ripped apart by time. People left with graves that erode with time, their stories untold unless providing a tragic lesson. He’s unable to interfere as they grieve their forgotten other half. Hell, even Phil’s had people cut out of his story without choice. None of their myths mention the ring on his finger that he never takes off. Her voice still floats on the wind, slightly louder and riling up the thousands of others with a laugh.

A letter eventually arrives written with rushed handwriting. Phil had heard through the grapevine about Techno dueling an immortal on a dueling world. A grin slides onto Phil’s face as he reads how Techno won wielding unfamiliar weapons. All of the time prowling worlds filled with unsuspecting people in an attempt to feed the voices didn’t go to waste. Even though each person killed only adds to the screaming symphony and the nights spent crying, Techno jokes that it’s worth the suffering.

The mortals are quick to turn it into another fable. Don’t get too greedy, don’t become too arrogant, don’t challenge the Blood God. None of them mention how they split the prize with a smile and no hard feelings, growing to potentially go as far as to call each other friends. The Immortal, Dream is his name, goes back to his nonstop run for survival. Techno comes back home and sets his mind on something simpler. 

Phil laughs as a simple hobby turns into a quest to top the leaderboard. Their meetings are far less frequent than they used to be. He’s fine with it, taking the time to continue helping his friends build. Grand structures emerge from the netherrack, the space looking far more like a home. A large fortress nestle on a cloud, a series of islands floating nearby. Phil chuckles at He and She’s silent love, despite the thousands of voices begging him to make them stop pining.

With Techno being crowned the winner of the Great Potato War, both return to the small house that they used to share. Despite their time apart, the jokes still come with ease and they fall into their old familiarity. Not many mortals can achieve the trust that comes from fighting centuries of wars together, both willing to die for the other.

Yet another myth is spun. This time it’s about the cruelty of gods and that you should never challenge one. Phil would say that calling it cruelty in Techno’s case is a bit far, but he can do nothing to correct their tales. He’s not sure why they need a thousand stories to teach the same lessons. However, he stopped attempting to find an answer long ago.

Phil returns in an attempt to stop the Ender King, even though the Blaze Empress doesn’t technically need his help. They both know that she’s the stronger of the two, but any help is appreciated at this point. Techno goes back to feeding the voices and terrorizing naïve kids in arenas.

Up to a century passes until he receives a panicked message from Techno begging him to come back home. He looks up to the Blaze Empress and she nods, giving him permission to leave. The war may be over but they still have so much work to do in an attempt to rebuild. Phil is quick to leave the world and enter the one containing their home. Techno refuses to show any sign of weakness, and claims that begging is beneath him. The second Phil’s view loads his flying towards their small house.

With hesitant hands and quivering wings Phil enters the house and follows the noise. He manages to track it to Techno’s old bedroom and Phil knocks to no response. The door releases a loud groan and Phil opens it. Techno is curled on the old bed, frame shaking and whimpers escaping from his mouth. Ever so slowly Phil approaches, barely noticing the way that he rapidly clicks his tongue in an attempt to communicate that he’s friendly.

He kneels in front of Techno and glares at the air next to him. “Chat, stop. He needs to breathe. You’re getting nothing done. Either stop or leave,” Phil harshly states before looking at Techno and speaking in a softer tone. “Can I touch you?”

Techno gives a soft nod and Phil moves onto the bed next to him. He gently picks at the pink hair, attempting to remove the dried splatters of blood and the dirt that’s gathered. There’s not much that can be done without hurting Techno or washing, so Phil separates the hair and begins to loosely braid it in old patterns. He fills the silence with words about whatever comes to mind. Whether it be stories from their time apart or tales from Techno’s youth, they do the job of starving off the quiet and giving the voices something to pay attention to.

In the early hours of the morning Phil will wake with Techno curled into his side, clinging onto Phil like a child. Birds chirp somewhere outside, letting each other know that they survived the night. He can’t help but draw parallels between mortals and the birds, the way that there's rarely quiet moments as they fill the time in an attempt to get everything done.

Phil’s well aware that none of the tales they’ll tell when the two of them no longer walk the planes of existence will never mention the softer moments. Technoblade will be nothing except the Blood God. Philza will only be their Angel of Death. Their myths will disregard everything that doesn't fit the images that mortals have constructed within their heads.

It’s easy to understand why the beings in Phil’s main world choose to hide themselves from the mortals. Their stories can never be twisted if they are never told. If he tried, Phil could do the same. One day he would vanish without a trace and not return for centuries until his story has been forgotten. He won’t do that, though. He’s still one of Techno’s only allies and friends. Techno is one of the few people that don’t seem to die purely due to Phil’s presence. It’s rather lonely as the Angel of Death when everything you love has to leave.


	2. Lost Voices

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm too impatient to wait for tomorrow. I'll probably post the final chapter tomorrow. I'm just don't want to wait and crave attention.

Wilbur opens his eyes to waterfalls cascading down cliffs. He’s not entirely unsurprised, the gods have yanked him from wherever he’s settled down this time for centuries. It’s their game and Wilbur’s their favorite toy. An unwilling puppet, if you will. Invisible strings incircle and pull at his limbs. Most of the time Wilbur can resist, sometimes he can’t. The flashes of visions that he receives show that it won’t stop anytime soon. He didn’t expect it to, after all it is his curse.

He looks to the side and sees Schlatt by his side. It’s been decades since he’s been thrown into a challenge with him, and their old tale is mostly unknown. Another one of the unnamed and forgotten adventures for the Sky Gods. Another piece of Wilbur’s punishment. He can’t pretend to know why Schlatt’s a recurring character. The Sky Gods tell him nothing. Wilbur fears the day they do.

It’s funny how the stories paint Wilbur as something he is not. He wasn’t a reckless harbinger of doom who challenged gods for fun, he was just a scared child. The island on the sky went from a place of torture and uncertainty into a lesson on kindness and taking nothing for granted. Every time Wilbur hears his myth, he wants nothing more than to scream. It’s filled with lies and silver linings, not the uncertainty and fear that haunts his every step.

Pushing down the bitterness as Schlatt jolts to awareness, they start yet another challenge. Jokes fill the air between them and it’s almost like they haven’t been separated for decades. Loneliness still claws at Wilbur’s skin like always however he says nothing about the fact. It’s part of the curse on sirens, although rarely seeing people certainly makes it worse.

They build a house on a cliff together. It’ll surely get submerged by the end and Wilbur’s well aware that it’s temporary. No matter how much Schlatt claims otherwise, this house will only be temporary. It’s proven when the water is quick to engulf it. Wilbur paces his side of the house as water leaks through the wooden roof.

“Stop pacing,” Schlatt groans and Wilbur collapses onto his bed.

There’s an itch under Wilbur’s skin. His mind screams for him to leave the house that’s sure to collapse. Break out and fly to the surface. Wilbur attempts to convince Schlatt, but no matter what Schlatt refuses. Eventually Wilbur can no longer wait and pushes the door open. Half way through his journey to the surface Wilbur’s gills open but he pays them no mind. Schlatt screams in the dark back in their house, but Wilbur isn’t going back.

Rain pounds against the ocean and creepers swim in its water. Wilbur makes his way atop an island in the sky and eventually Schlatt gives into Wilbur’s pleas for him to swim to the surface. Wilbur yells as a creeper explodes next to Schlatt sending him back to the bottom of the ocean. Wilbur’s not sure why he decided to fling himself into the water and make his way down into its depths. He’s not sure why he breaks the windows. He regrets it when Schlatt starts to yell, but knows that it won’t be told in whatever story mortals warp it into. The world ends with Wilbur jumping onto a tree, missing the river he was aiming for. Even trapped as a spirit he can hear Schlatt’s hysterical laughter. Within moments they are transported to another blank canvas of a world.

The first day and a half is peaceful, or at least as peaceful as it can be with the two of them. The sun beats down and Wilbur takes refuge in the forest’s shade. Schlatt carves caves under the ground as they wait for the lava to rise. Wilbur’s hesitant to admit it, but he’s scared. He knows the legends will gloss over the fear swimming in his veins and how Wilbur’s hands shake as he lights a torch before entering the cave. 

They’re eventually forced to leave their caves, much to Schlatt’s complaint. Wilbur does eventually manage to find the beach filled with lava and in an attempt to make Schlatt laugh plays chicken with it, although he stops rather quickly. He’s never died to lava before. He’s never burned like this. The stone pillar becomes Wilbur’s home and Schlatt’s mine fills with lava. They make the tower into a home until Schlatt claims the top. Lava is poured down the ladder and Wilbur is quick to bridge away. Schlatt continues trying to kill him. Wilbur starts a new pillar of dirt away from Schlatt’s tower of stone. They antagonize each other even across the ocean of lava.

Eventually Wilbur grows bored and bridges over. It’s lonely as a puppet. They would be better off together, if Schlatt were to stop screaming. Logically, Wilbur knows that’s not what the Sky Gods want for their myth. It wouldn’t be something the mortals would worship. It would be the happier version only told as to not upset naïve children. Like expected, he runs out of wood halfway through. Much to Schlatt’s surprise Wilbur drops into the water below from Schlatt’s lava casting. Wilbur makes his way to the top only for lava to be dumped on him again.

Wilbur looks up at Schlatt from his spot on the stone, sword gripped loosely in his hand. “What will you do when I’m gone? What will be left?”

“I’ll just survive up here,” Schlatt answers.

Wilbur glances back at the expanse of lava. ‘You’ll be alone, everything will be dead.”

“I’ll have everything I need,” Schlatt says before making his way closer.

Wilbur builds up and away, unwilling to be dunked in lava. He places a sign and carves in the wood, only for Schlatt to stare at him. Thunder flashes in the distance. The rain pours down, Wilbur’s hair and clothes sticking to his skin. Wilbur sucks in a breath and leaps across, landing with a wince. Schlatt pushes Wilbur into the lava and immediately his nerves ignite. It doesn’t take long for him to die the first time. His clothes and hair are on fire and Wilbur can feel his skin char.

“I got the last laugh,” Schlatt exclaims.

Within the first dozen deaths Wilbur loses his voices. All he knows is the lava eating his body. Wilbur can’t think of anything, and time is gone. Nothing is worth this agonizing pain. The mortals will turn this into another absurd lesson. He dies time and time again, slowly getting used to the pain. It could be a day, it could be centuries for how long he’s been burning.

Wilbur’s pulled from the lava and placed in a new world. Schlatt stands behind him, yet to notice his presence. Wilbur quietly clears his throat and Schlatt turns. He pales at the sight of new scares decorating Wilbur’s skin, leftovers from the worst of his burns. Some of the indigo scales are missing from their patches although thankfully not many are. 

Despite it being his fault, Schlatt doesn’t comment. Instead he clears his throat and straightens his tie. Wilbur can’t help but be jealous of the way that not a single burn is on his skin, somehow kept perfectly out of the lava. A piece of tnt falls from the sky and explodes nearby. Wilbur just sighs. He’ll never catch a break, although hopefully this will be the last challenge this time. The Sky Gods will grow bored like always, dumping Wilbur somewhere close to where they found him this time.

With acid burning his throat, Wilbur compartmentalizes the bitterness. It’s Schlatt's fault he died, but he’ll need Schlatt to survive. Maybe they can make this challenge unusable for a myth. So far it’s far calmer of a world, a breath of fresh air. Explosions rain from the sky but Wilbur can’t find it in himself to care.

He can’t help but wish that the Sky Gods took interest in someone else. Wilbur would have lived several lifetimes over if he hadn’t been chosen as their favorite. He’s still bitter at those who brought him to their attention. The myths never mention how he brutally murdered them without remorse. They want a cleaner story than the one he lives.

This time it’s a rather short stay. Wilbur and Schlatt refuse to comply, although what’s in it for Schlatt Wilbur doesn’t know. Shrapnel makes a home in Wilbur despite how hard he tries to get them out. Logically, Wilbur knows that he’ll just die and respawn with a few new scars. It won’t matter in the end, just another addition to the canvas that is his skin.

Wilbur is unceremoniously yanked from the world and thrown outside of his old home. Schlatt is thankfully gone as Wilbur picks himself up off the ground. He stopped counting how long passes in their games centuries ago. Wilbur makes his way up the path leading to his old home. It’s extremely quiet, a not entirely unwelcome difference. He made home away from mortals for a reason. The fact that it’s undisturbed is a bonus.

It takes slamming his shoulder into the door several times for it to pop open. The hinges need oiling, something to be expected after years of being left alone. The house is dark and Wilbur doesn’t have the energy to go around lighting lamps. Dust covers every surface and all of the food has gone bad. It’s a horrible routine, but at this point he’s used to it.


	3. Incoherent Words

Techno stares at the child clinging onto Wilbur. The child babbles incoherently and Techno winces. Despite the voices’ insistence that they must protect him, Techno can’t help but be wary. Wilbur refuses to meet his eyes and Techno lets out a sigh. Nothing good will come from this. The kid’s life will be filled with heartache, it’s inevitable.

“Does he even have a name?” Techno asks, adjusting his crown.

Wilbur looks up and huffs. “Not that I know of, and he obviously can’t tell me.”

Techno runs a hand down his face. “Wil, you can’t just steal a child.”

“But Techno, he was alone on the streets. I couldn’t let him die,” Wilbur attempts to reason with flawed logic.

There’s no getting through to him. “He at least needs a name.”

A grin slowly spreads onto Wilbur’s face. “He can stay?”

“He’s your responsibility,” Techno answers, and the voices rejoice. He wishes that Phil could be here to help Wilbur see sense, but of course he’s out.

Wilbur slightly bounces the child who lets out a small giggle. “I was hoping you could help me name him.”

Techno studies the kid’s face. Blue eyes are filled with curiosity as he reaches out and grabs Techno’s crown. Somehow the kid manages to lift it and clutch it close. A small smile makes its way onto his features. It could be worse. “Theseus, his name is Theseus.”

“Tommy,” Wilbur immediately responds.

“That can be his nickname,” Techno offers and Wilbur nods.

The voices chant the name, and Techno can’t help but be afraid of what they just got into.

Theseus is raised on stories he doesn’t know are true. The three of them decide fairly early on not to let him know, it’s the kid’s best hope. Theseus runs through the fields with a wooden sword and one of Techno’s old capes completely unaware of what it’s seen. Techno can’t help but wince every time he mentions wanting to be a hero but manages to say nothing. He watches Theseus grow, watches him slowly get better at the sparring he insists on. Theseus does fairly well against the Blood God and could likely beat most mortals. Techno doesn’t tell him this and watches Theseus grow frustrated.

It’s fairly early on that Tommy becomes far more common to use than Theseus, and Techno doesn’t mind. Names and titles have power. He's the last one to hear about Tommy’s new friend and the second one to meet him. The kid's name is Tubbo and he wears a green button up several sizes too big. He leaves the two to do their thing, nothing too bad can happen. Theseus is quite the swordsman, even if he never fully picked up bows. The two run in the fields and Techno leaves to attend to his crops. The voices are awfully quiet, something that’s never a good sign.

Several years later he’s asleep when Tommy sneaks out. The voices rattle when he wakes and stumbles downstairs. Phil and Wilbur are already awake, and Techno can tell something is wrong. Phil makes little attempt to hide the way his wings quiver with fear and Wilbur hums some desperate song.

“Tommy’s gone,” Phil says and Techno finds himself frozen in place. Tommy’s always been far too rebellious and impulsive, something that never ends well in the stories mortals tell.

Wilbur’s stopped humming and his voice cuts into the silence. “I’m going to find him.”

“Wilbur, think this through,” Techno cuts in.

His claws tap the table and Wilbur lets out a sigh as he draws them in far shorter. “I have. You two are too obvious. Mortals always forget about me”

As much as Techno hates to admit it, Wilbur does have a point. Techno is definitely the most recognizable even in the more humane form he currently wears. Wilbur has the best chance, between his flashes of visions that come with being a siren and the fact that no mortals recognize him. He’s always been the closest with Tommy.

“Tell us when you find him,” Techno settles on and Phil nods.

Wilbur does eventually manage to find Tommy, as evident by the letter that makes its way home. Tubbo is apparently with Tommy although it shouldn’t be surprising. The two are practically attached to each other. Dream is there too, but it's fine. They left on good terms, and it’s his decision who he whitelists. It would have been far better if Tommy told them but why would Tommy do that? The two end up staying in that world and found a country together. The story is told through letters that he and Phil read together.

Tommy and Wilbur hold an election together not long after winning the war. Something about democracy. Techno’s always preferred anarchy, but as long as Wilbur is careful with how he runs everything. The downward spiral into corruption is an easy one to let happen. He hopes it doesn’t happen to them.

“Have some faith,“ Phil laughs from his perch.

Techno rolls his eyes and goes to respond. Before he can, though, he can feel someone approach their land. It’s an old charm, and a rather simple one. It’s easy to share between him, Wilbur, and Phil when they’re in the world. It’s with a dagger in hand and boar skull on his face that Techno leaves the house. Phil watches from above with a bow in hand . No one is there anymore, but you can never be too careful. 

It’s just a letter sealed with drips of wax. There is no familiar crest imprinted into the wax, and the scrawl is extremely messy.  _ For Technoblade Only, Philza Do Not Read. _ Techno signals an all clear to Phil before making his way back to the home. Something’s gone wrong, he can just tell. It begs for him to join them at L’manburg and Techno can barely get any sense out of it. Before long Techno is off, he cannot let a story like this happen to Theseus.

The Wilbur and Tommy that greet Techno are far different from how they were. Wilbur’s voice is shaky in ways that he’s only been told of in stories that never end well. Wilbur laughs off his scars most of the time, but sometimes they rear their ugly heads.. Theseus preps him to run and the spawn is enclosed with walls. Tommy is covered with dirt and mud, bruises dotting his skin. It doesn’t prepare him for the sight of Wilbur. His glasses are askew and dried blood smears his body alongside dirt.

Techno is immediately thrown into battles and uprisings. They’re in a ravine called Pogtopia and running from an entire country. His knuckles turn white upon learning that Schlatt is the one leading it. In the past Wilbur’s referred to him as a friend, but it could have been him being overly optimistic.  He watches Wilbur spiral but doesn’t know how to help. He’s terrified of saying the wrong thing, of only making it worse. His hand is forced to pull a trigger as the voices scream for blood. Tubbo explodes with colorful sparks and afterward Techno can’t help but think about how the kid doesn’t deserve it.

L’manburg goes out with a bang. Wilbur pushes the button and screams from his perch above the wreckage. Phil looks terrified as he’s handed the sword before driving it into the ground. Techno revels in the chaos his withers cause even as most people scream at him to stop. The voices beg for more blood to fulfill their prayers and exact vengeance through the one that murdered them. Theseus has always been doomed, he’s been a ticking time bomb since the moment Wilbur brought him home. It’s only a matter of what finally gets him.

His escape to the tundra is expected. He builds himself a cabin among the hills and Carl lives outside it. It’s rather similar to an old empire he and Phil ran in the past. The light blue winter clothes come out of storage and strangely enough not many question it. Back at the crater Phil helps rebuild. Houses on stilts isn’t the oddest thing, although they certainly could be far more stable. Wilbur makes a home in the sewers collecting books to distract himself from those still calling for his blood. Theseus vanishes with the word exile.

Butchers calling themselves an army stumble into his lawn, aprons stained in blood. Phil gave enough warning for him to start to prepare. The fight is far in his favor until Quackity holds a knife to Carl’s neck. The horse wouldn’t deserve this, he shouldn’t suffer for what Techno’s done. He’s brought to New L’manburg and greeted with the sight of Phil on his stone balcony, an ankle monitor strapped to his leg. 

Their trial is non-existent as Techno is shoved into a cage. His fingers grip a totem of undying as the anvil is released. Phil’s arrow misses and Techno squeezes his eyes shut. His mind explodes in green and yellow sparks and breath is pulled into his lungs. Techno is quick to make a run amidst the confused yells even as Quackity gives chase. It’s far too easy to beat him with just a pickaxe. He’s not the Blood God without reason.

The myths could paint this either way. In all honesty Techno can’t find it in himself to care anymore. He attempts to brainstorm how to get Phil out without revealing everything as a ruckus comes from his basement. Theseus awaits covered in blood and injuries, eyes hard but scared. He clutches the few belongings he has close. The story could go many different directions, but Techno decides to let Theseus stay. Maybe this story could have a happier ending.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I'm supposed to be working on Identical Grins, but I've been playing with this idea for months and wanted to start it. I only use they/them pronouns now.
> 
> What I listened to: [Heroes by emmy curie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnL0TFrFBwk)  
> [Main Tumblr](https://maybewren.tumblr.com/)  
> 


End file.
